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<p class=MsoNormal>“Indeed, what started out in 1785 as a church meeting
of about 1200 people offering patriotic speeches and thanks for their
deliverance from the British (the royal forces bombarded and looted the town
during the Revolutionary War) has ballooned into an extravaganza.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Courtesy of Parade Magazine at:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><a
href="http://www.parade.com/news/2010/07/02-the-most-patriotic-town-in-america.html">http://www.parade.com/news/2010/07/02-the-most-patriotic-town-in-america.html</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>July 4th in America's Most Patriotic Town<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>by Lynn Schnurnberger, Parade Magazine<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>When U.S. Army Staff Sgt. James Pepoon stepped onto the dais
to be honored as the hometown person who’d traveled the farthest to
return to Bristol, Rhode Island’s July Fourth festivities last year, he
got a standing ovation—and more than a few people had to push back their
tears. It was the young soldier’s first visit home since the end of his
15-month tour of combat duty in Iraq. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>All across America, people paint the town red, white, and
blue on Independence Day with parades, fireworks, and backyard barbecues. But
Bristol, a picturesque coastal community halfway between Providence and
Newport, holds the distinction of hosting the country’s longest
continuously running celebration—earning it the nickname of
“America’s Most Patriotic Town.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Staff Sgt. Pepoon, 28, who had been stationed in Hawaii
following his combat deployment, actually went so far as to postpone his
long-awaited homecoming until parade time. “Airfares aren’t cheap,
and I knew I could only afford one trip back,” he says. “July
Fourth in Bristol is bigger than Christmas.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Indeed, what started out in 1785 as a church meeting of
about 1200 people offering patriotic speeches and thanks for their deliverance
from the British (the royal forces bombarded and looted the town during the
Revolutionary War) has ballooned into an extravaganza. These days, visitors
swell the ranks of this 23,000-person hamlet to more than 100,000 to cheer,
among others, the bands, bagpipers, and drum-and-bugle corps that troop down
the “Civic, Military, and Fireman’s Parade” route, a
2.5-mile-long course marked by a patriotic tricolor stripe created with
meticulous care—and 75 gallons of paint. Crowds assemble as early as
daybreak to vie for good viewing spots. (In Bristol, which the National Trust
for Historic Preservation selected as one of 2009’s 12 Distinctive
Destinations, it’s more desirable to live along the parade route than on
the waterfront.) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>If you don’t count the year-round fund-raising events
like tennis tournaments and macaroni suppers—and the organizing meeting
that starts the week after the last parade—the official celebration kicks
off on June 14, Flag Day, followed by concerts, carnivals, and vintage baseball
games. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>“Putting the celebration together is harder than
planning a wedding,” laughs Judy Squires, 58, the committee’s
general chair. She should know—her daughter Heidi is getting married in
the fall. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Participants and residents pull out all the stops. Paul
Sousa, 42, owner of the Cake Gallery, lovingly spent more than 30 hours
creating one of the 26 floats in this year’s parade, which takes place on
Monday, July 5, to avoid conflicting with church services. A Marilyn Monroe
look-alike will ride Sousa’s 6-foot-tall wooden cake, singing
“Happy Birthday” in honor of the 225th jubilee. Residents bedeck
their Greek-columned mansions and stately colonial homes in stars-and-stripes
bunting and paint American flags on their garage doors. But despite all the
hoopla, the citizens exude an innocence that harkens back to simpler times. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>“There’s such a genuine outpouring of patriotism
and community spirit,” says Sen. Jack Reed (D., R.I.), who has joined in
on the festivities for more than 20 years. “It’s as if the town was
created by Norman Rockwell.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>“At the heart of the celebration are the
speeches,” says de facto town historian Richard V. Simpson, 74, referring
to the orations by Senators, judges, and other prominent people which have
covered such wide-ranging topics as immigration, flag-burning, and nuclear
energy. “The oratory gives the parade its meaning.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Judy Squires recalls that her father held the very same post
she does now, back when she twirled a baton in the marching band and her mom
was famous for the fudge she served at fund-raising parties. “From
generation to generation, everybody in Bristol gets caught up in the
celebration,” Squires says. “Sometimes, I just think our veins are
filled with red, white, and blue blood.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>--------------------------<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Young revelers Jillian Borgia and Angie Mascena at Bristol,
R.I.'s 2008 Fourth of July parade<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><a
href="http://www.parade.com/images/-v5/news/2010/0704/main-most-patriotic-town.jpg">http://www.parade.com/images/-v5/news/2010/0704/main-most-patriotic-town.jpg</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>--------------------------<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Our Towns, Our Parades<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>There’s something for everyone at these unique Fourth
of July parades. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>--------<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Gatlinburg, Tenn.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>For people who can’t wait to start celebrating, the
Midnight Parade starts at the stroke of Independence Day. Over 80,000 people
from all over the southeast line the streets of this smoky mountain town to
cheer floats, twirlers and marching bands paying tribute to the military.
Fireworks—22 hours after the parade begins—provide a big bang
ending. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>--------<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>St. Louis, Mo.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>The Veiled Prophet Parade is named for the civic
organization behind the themed event, which this year features 500 costumed
characters, giant inflatable balloons and floats tied to “A Night at the
Movies.” A free performance by John Legend is capped off by fireworks
along the banks of the Mississippi River. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>--------<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Chappell Hill, Texas<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Kids up to 12 play in the self-named “World Famous
Marching Kazoo Band.” Expect to see floats and the Texas Army Color guard
and to hear at least one rendition of “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” This
year’s parade is on July 3. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>--------<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Washington, D.C.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>If you snag a spot across from the Washington Monument
you’ll have a great photo op. Of course anywhere you stand it’s
hard not to feel roused by being in the nation’s capital for the National
Independence Day Parade. Afterwards, there’s a festival on the Mall, a
concert on the lawn of the Capitol building, and one of the country’s
largest displays of fireworks. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>-------<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Sonoma, Calif.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>The two-hour parade takes place around the town’s
historic Mexican-pueblo style plaza, and anybody can join the procession, even
on the day of the event. The wine-country town of 10,000 attracts up to 15,000
spectators—many of whom come to see the ad-hoc 40-member band. The first
time around the plaza they’re billed as “The Hometown Band.”
The next time, they call themselves “The Other Town” band. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>--------<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Long Beach, Calif.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Hundreds of 3- to 13-year-olds tie balloons to their
handlebars and ride in The Great American Fourth of July Bike Parade in Long
Beach, Calif. “It’s a fun way for kids to learn about alternative
energy and patriotism,” organizer Justin Rudd says. Participants are
encouraged to dress up as their favorite figures from U.S. history. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>--------<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Steamboat Springs, Colo.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Start off the day with a hearty community pancake breakfast,
then see one of the few parades in the country to feature cows and rodeo riders
in full regalia and lassos. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>--------<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Murrells Inlet, S.C.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>One hundred and fifty flag-flying boats—everything
from kayaks to 40-foot yachts—turn out for Murrells Inlet’s 4th of
July Boat Parade. There’s music and even a Boston Tea Party re-enactment<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>My personal favorite . . . The Mutt Strut right here in
Moscow, Idaho.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Seeya on the Square, Moscow.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Tom Hansen<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Moscow, Idaho<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>"Patriotism
is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil and steady
dedication of a lifetime."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>-- Adlai E.
Stevenson, Jr.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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